


Oppositions

by Jen425



Series: All The Colors Of The Grid [7]
Category: Mighty Morphin Power Rangers, Power Rangers, Power Rangers Dino Thunder
Genre: (she’s 4 and her name is Anya), Alternate Universe - Soulmates, F/M, Family Drama, Family Feels, Family Fluff, First Meetings, Gen, Implied/Referenced Mind Control, Implied/Referenced Mind Rape, Implied/Referenced Torture, M/M, Multi, Platonic Soulmates, Reunions, Romantic Soulmates, Seriously I swear this is fluffy!, Sparring, Team as Family, The DT OT3 is pre-relationship, Tommy: Kids these are my soulmates. Soulmates these are my kids, Worldbuilding, also there’s like 3 references to the ot6 having an OC daughter, and will become an ot4
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-04-17
Updated: 2019-04-17
Packaged: 2020-01-15 08:13:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,620
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18494944
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Jen425/pseuds/Jen425
Summary: Tommy is a Black Ranger, now. His soulmates have Opinions.





	Oppositions

**Author's Note:**

> This was super fun to write.

Tommy smirks and groans both as the transformation freezes localized time.

 

His soulmates, after all, are  _ outside _ the area affected. And they definitely just felt the wave of energy from the transformation. Especially because it’s in—

 

_ “Stealing my color, man?” _

 

Black.

 

_ “Luck of the draw,”  _ Tommy snarks.  _ “Guess who’s back.” _

 

_ “Where  _ were  _ you, Tommy?”  _ Kim says in reply.  _ “You haven’t replied to us in three days.” _

 

Tommy just sends a mental shrug.

 

_ “Kidnapped by the villains to unlock my own power,” _ he says.  _ “Nothing new.” _

 

Helmet. Pose.

 

_ “Transformation’s over,” _ he says.  _ “Video chat tonight?” _

 

He is  _ so _ glad Billy had set up a way to video chat the entire group. Bad enough they live around the country with only Jason and Trini together (mostly, Trini still had duties around the world as an earth diplomat and Jason still has the same around the  _ universe _ as the senior Earth Red, even if Tommy tried to take on some of that), but Billy’s mind presence being the only thing had been… upsetting.

 

Something about eye contact and human soulmate types.

 

_ “Affirmative.” _

 

_ “Be careful.” _

 

_ “Welcome to the color.” _

 

_ “We’ll see you soon, Tommy.” _

 

Jason is suspiciously silent, and Tommy just knows he’ll have some yellow and red at home, tonight.

  
  
  


As mentioned earlier, Tommy isn’t surprised when he comes home from his shopping trip (a bit of black everything should fill the empty drawer he’d saved just in case) to find the door unlocked, the lights on, and Trini’s car out front.

 

Too bad they’ll see through his illusion of being fine in about five seconds. The fresh power had healed him almost completely, as it’s known to do, but everything still aches from three days of torture and attempted mind rape.

 

You know, normal Power Rangers stuff.

 

“Took you no time at all, huh?” He mutters, walking inside for what was probably gonna start with a lecture and overprotective soulmates trying to get him to take a break that he  _ doesn’t need, thank you very much _ .

 

He could go invisible and sneak up to his room, first.

 

No.

 

Tommy lifts the three bags of clothes with one arm with the practiced ease of being Kim’s extremely smitten soulmate, teammate, and boyfriend, during High School.

 

“I’m home,” he says, not even needing to properly look at Trini and Jason to know that they’re sitting on his couch, “but please let me put away my new wardrobe before pouncing me. It’s been a  _ long _ weekend.”

 

When he comes back, he comes back in a fresh outfit, loose jeans and a black t-shirt that shows his tattoos, which he usually keeps hidden in case someone uses their brain and figures things out, seeing as all of his tattoos are connected to his time as a Ranger.

 

He’s not surprised to find himself wrapped up in two soulmates’ arms.

 

“It’s great to see you guys,” he says. “Sorry I couldn’t call. Bad guys, you know the drill.”

 

Slowly, the other two pull away. Tommy lets himself stay leaning into Jason, just a bit. It really has been a long weekend.

 

“We came as soon as we could,” Trini says. It’s been two and a half hours since the battle. It takes two hours to get from Angel Grove to Reefside.

 

“I noticed,” Tommy says, dryly. “Anyways, we should let everyone know I’m here to call.”

  
  
  


“You’ve been kidnapped and tortured by your villain for three days to get your powers and you didn’t tell us?!” Kim yells. Tommy sighs. He’s honestly surprised it took them an hour of talking to get around to the reason they’re video calling.

 

“To be fair, I was being tortured in a room with a bond blocker,” he says. “I barely escaped long enough to call Hayley.”

 

The past few days have been an adventure. He doesn’t seem to ever get powers the easy way. Not even the first time. Maybe when Zordon first gave him White…

 

“Are you okay, man?” Zach asks. Tommy shrugs.

 

“Again, standard villain torture stuff,” he says. “The new Power healed it.”

 

It still left him mentally and emotionally exhausted, but it is what it is.

 

Kim looks ready to book a flight ticket. Everyone else exchanges glances. Tommy groans.

 

“Listen I know there’s a bet going, and I did have the morpher, but I really didn’t expect this,” he says. “Well, not the Power. The kidnapping is less surprising because I’m the Mentor.”

 

Everyone else nods their heads because, well, true. That’s how it works. The first time Tommy had been a Ranger, he’d severed Zordon from their dimension. This is actually fairly normal.

 

Still, he’d be just as worried if it was any one of them.

 

“The team really stepped up, though,” he says. “They staged a rescue attempt with Hayley that went down as close to perfect as we get.”

 

Earth based villains are rare, but they’re certainly interesting. And Tommy’s kind of glad the kids didn’t have to jump into space or another dimension to save him, just an island vaguely on the nearby coast.

 

But the worst part is that the villains, the research they use to create tyrannodrones and monsters… so much of it is his fault.

 

“The Red, Conner, he’s not having any more problems?” Jason asks. “And the others?”

 

Tommy shakes his head.

 

“No, Conner’s really stepped up,” he says. “And, for the record, I’m keeping him as field leader. Reds are leaders. I don’t think mentors are usually Rangers.”

 

“Makes sense.”

 

“I’m really proud of them all,” Tommy says. “And… I still have to be ready for tomorrow’s classes. Fuck.”

 

“Can we help you catch up on work?” Trini asks. Tommy groans.

 

“Not really,” he says. “It’s mostly lesson plans and grading a pop quiz. I’ll see you guys here or upstairs by midnight.”

 

Well, he’ll see Trini and Jason, and it’s nice to have them here after a kidnapping.

 

(What does it say about him that he can throw a kidnapping to the side like this?)

 

Even if he is  _ perfectly fine _ .

 

“Bye, Tommy,” Kim says.

 

“See ya, man,” Zack says.

 

“Remember to take care of yourself,” Billy adds (and of course it’s Billy when they’d fought together the longest.)

 

Tommy smiles.

 

“I’ll try,” he says. “Oh! Zach, hug Anya for me.”

 

Zack smiles.

 

“Of course,” he says. “She’s yours, month after next.”

 

Tommy smiles.

 

“Can’t Wait to be a Rangering dad,” he says. “But I really got to go.”

  
  
  


Tommy doesn’t wear the necklace with the five tokens nearly as much as he used to, but he somehow remembers to slip it on, the next day. As well as a white suit jacket over a grey shirt and black pants.

 

There’s just something about having his colors close that makes him want to wear both his own and theirs.

 

It’s ridiculously early and he’s absolutely exhausted past the help of caffeine, but he somehow manages to get out the door on time with a hug from Trini and kiss from Jason goodbye.

 

The day is just as exhausting as it’s a fairly active lesson on his part for all classes (that he has to do thrice one way, twice another and twice a third, for three different classes), and Principal Randall seems to be following him.

 

On the bright side, now he gets to introduce his team to his soulmates. Which will be… fun…

 

He wonders if they’ll be recognized from the video.

  
  
  


“Is it just me or did Doctor O look happier, today?” Kira asks as she meets up with Conner and Ethan to get to Doctor O’s place.

 

Conner shrugs.

 

“Looked the same to me,” he says. “Just more black.”

 

Kira couldn’t help but smile at the inside joke.

 

_ “Maybe it’s the rush of being a Ranger again,” _ Ethan says.  _ “You know it’s pretty powerful.” _

 

Kira just shakes her head.

 

“I don’t think so,” she says. “Anyways, Conner, I heard—”

 

“ _ Not _ another word,” Conner says.

 

They forget mostly about Doctor O until they get to his house. He’s changed into looser black pants and a white tank top, and he’s fighting with someone in a red tank top. A woman in yellow watches from the side.

 

The man in red wins the fight and then helps Doctor O to his feet.

 

“Good match, bro,” he says. Doctor O smiles back.

 

“It’s been a while, hasn’t it?” He asks, then, turning to Kira and her team, he says “Glad you guys made it here on time.”

 

_ “Who  _ is _ that?” _ Conner asks.

 

_ “Good question,” _ Ethan replies.

 

Doctor O and the two strangers make their way towards the group.

 

“Guys, I’d like you to meet two of my soulmates, Jason Scott and Trini Kwan,” he says. “And these, of course, are Ethan, Conner, and Kira.”

 

Jason and Trini… oh!

 

_ “Guys,” _ she says.  _ “They’re—” _

 

_ “The original Red and Yellow Rangers,” _ Ethan finishes.

 

_ “Man,” _ Conner says.

 

“It’s nice to meet our successors,” Trini says.

 

Kira can’t choke out a response for a good couple of seconds.

 

“It’s nice to meet you, too,” she says. Then… “Wait, soulmates?”

 

“Most Ranger teams are poly soulmates,” Doctor O explains. “I’ve heard several accounts of teams gaining colors as a group when they met via being Rangers.”

 

“Too bad we didn’t know about your color when we first met,” Jason says, with a small bit of bitterness. Doctor O sighs.

 

“Let’s not burden my team with our own old teenage angst,” he says. Something else gets added over the bonds, but Kira doesn’t know what. “But, since you’re here, why don’t you help us train?”

 

“Sounds good to me,” Jason says with a shrug.

 

“I’d love to help your new team,” Trini says.

 

_ “They’re gonna wipe the floor with us, aren’t they?” _ Conner asks.

  
  
  


After training, Tommy leads them all downstairs.

 

“Now that I’m a Ranger again, I want to make some things clear,” he says. “The first is that Conner is still field leader. I’m a mentor and an auxiliary Rangers, so what I say off the battlefield still goes, but that’s how it’s going to work. Hopefully I’ll be around to keep you from too much trouble unless I’m incapacitated.”

 

“Which will probably happen, at some point,” Jason says. “We were floundering in the dark whenever we lost Zordon, especially the first time when…”

 

When Tommy had been the Evil Green Ranger. It’s been eleven years and that still hurts. But it’s a good point.

 

“When you were fighting me,” he finishes. “As an evil Ranger. Those are always the toughest fights.”

 

“But we won in the end,” Trini says. “And we got a new teammate out of it.”

 

Tommy nods.

 

“The next, that I think you mostly already know, is that I still follow my own mentor’s three rule,” he says. “Never reveal your powers to anyone—”

 

“Never escalate a battle,” Trini continues.

 

“And  _ never _ use your powers for personal gain,” Jason finishes.

 

Another reason he’s glad they’re here. The kids know how to ignore a teacher, but not legends.

 

It’s nice to not be  _ the _ legend, for once.

 

“This third one is especially important, What with the skills that the Dino Gems gave you,” Tommy adds. “The last important point is that I’m one of Earth’s Galactic representatives, and you’re my students. That means that, occasionally, we might be called upon for something Galactic. Be ready.”

 

“And you never stop being a Ranger,” Trini adds. “Even if you lose or give up your powers.”

 

Tommy nods.

 

“Once a Ranger, always a Ranger,” he says. “Now, do you guys have questions?”

 

“Why didn’t you tell us any of this before?” Conner asks. Tommy sighs.

 

“Being a mentor and Ranger are very different,” he says. “And I didn’t quite plan for all of this.”

 

“And we try not to get new teams involved in Earth’s intergalactic politics until they have a couple of months of experience,” Jason adds. “But Tommy being an active Ranger again might affect things.”

 

_ “I am glad you guys are here for this part,” _ Tommy says.  _ “Why are the Whites the outreach Rangers, again?” _

 

_ “Because,” _ Trini replies.

 

“So we might get to go to space?” Ethan asks. “Cool.”

 

Tommy sighs.

 

“It’s only if an ally wants to meet you or an old enemy wants to destroy you,” he says. “You’ll be assumed us senior team’s successors due to your Dino powers and my leadership.”

 

“And what are we supposed to do, exactly?” Kira asks. Tommy shrugs.

 

“Just follow my lead if they’re allies,” he says. “And fight the monsters if they’re enemies.”

 

God knows they don’t need a teamup. His team nods their understanding.

 

“Great,” he says. “Now, I know your English classes gave a ton of homework to you guys by my 7th period class’ muttering, so you guys should get to work on that.”

 

Kira and Conner look immediately at Jason and Trini, and Ethan follows a moment later. Tommy sighs.

 

“If you want, you can stay, and after homework we’ll have dinner,” he says. “But call your parents, first.”

 

He knows Conner and Kira are gonna fake it, but he has to at least appear responsible.

  
  
  


Dinner is incredibly fun, Ethan thinks, even if none of his own predecessors are here.

 

Conner in particular seems to be getting a kick out of Doctor O’s less impressive teenage adventures, and the obviously over exaggerated stories of battles.

 

“They didn’t really talk like that, right?” Kira asks, echoing Ethan’s thoughts.

 

“Oh they did,” Trini says.

 

“ _ Mesagog’s _ monsters are less stupid than Rita and Zedd’s, in that respect,” Doctor O adds. “And Elsa hasn’t called us ‘puny’ yet.”

 

“Wait,  _ seriously _ ?” Ethan asks. “They actually called you that?”

 

The older Rangers nod.

 

“And the puns really were terrible,” Jason adds. “It was like they belonged in a kids show, sometimes.”

 

“Except for how many times we almost died,” Trini adds. “But I still wouldn’t trade the experience for anything but world peace.”

 

“Being a Ranger changes you,” Tommy agrees. “But it’s why we were fated together.”

  
  
  


Tommy doesn’t even argue when his soulmates drag him to bed early, that night.

 

“You need to let the Power settle or it’s gonna come back around,” Trini says, anyways.

 

She’s not wrong. But he doubts he would sleep if they  _ weren’t _ there to get him in bed. There’s still more work to do, as a teacher and a Ranger.

 

But Tommy will take the time he can get.

  
  
  


Jason and Trini both have to leave the next day, but not before Mesagog can send over tyrannodrones and a new monster.

 

“Useful skills,” Jason notes, as his kids run and scream and block their way through enough tyrannodrones to morph. Tommy nods.

 

“I think so,” he says.

 

They all stumble back, and everyone but Trini get their morphers ready.

 

“It’s Morphin Time!”

 

“Dino Thunder, Power Up!”

 

“Tyrannosaurus!”

 

Tommy smirks.

 

“This should be over quickly,” he says. And it really is. Trini runs up to them after they power down, panting slightly.

 

“I suddenly wish I had my powers again,” she says. Tommy nods.

 

“I’ve had that thought, recently,” he says. “Anyways, I guess it’s time to say goodbye.”

 

Trini and Jason nod.

 

“I do have an earth job,” Jason jokes. They clasp hands. “See you around, bro.”

 

“And bring these three when we all meet up, next month,” Trini says as she hugs him goodbye. “They can meet the others and Anya.”

 

“Who’s Anya?” Conner asks. No…

 

“She’s our daughter,” Tommy says quickly. “I know I have pictures of her at home.”

 

“You have a  _ daughter,  _ Doctor O?”

 

Tommy groans.

 

_ “You guys should go,” _ he says over the bond. With nods and one last clasping of hands, Jason and Trini make their escape.

 

Leaving Tommy to field another round of questions.

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @flaim-ita


End file.
